VETERINARY MEDICINE: Pet health insurance rising in popularity.

Pet health insurance rising in popularity. The 12-year-old was diagnosed with a tumor near her tail in August. Fortunately, Rita invested in pet insurance 8 years ago. "It is a relief it is an investment and a bit of a gamble as insurance usually is you could never see a return on it and for most insurance, you hope you don't," Orrell says. Insurance for dogs, cats and other pets is growing in popularity.

 Nearly 2 million pets were insured in 2016, up 15 percent from the prior year, but that's still just a fraction of the 144 million pets in America. Some Fortune 500 companies are now offering employees pet insurance as a work perk. "From their employee's point of view, pets have really become part of the family.

 Literally, over the last few years, pets have moved from the backyard to the bedroom," says Scott Liles, Vice President and Chief Pet Insurance Officer for Nationwide. If you have to buy a plan on your own it can cost more than $40 a month.

 They usually only cover accidents and illnesses, not wellness visits and vaccines. I understand that people may not be able to afford that," says Orrell. PetCure Oncologist Dr. Van Beven says insurance is vital when an animal is hit with a serious disease like cancer.